As more and more people panic buy and hoard essentials, many are left wondering if their current supplies will last. After doing a quick inventory of my house this weekend, I realized there was some things I was going to need soon and some I could hold off on. Thankfully one of the things I have plenty of is toilet paper.

I didn't go out and panic buy or hoard. In fact, I haven't even bought toilet paper in a month! Granted, it's just me in the house, but it's not like I'm worried about running out either. Just by doing some simple math in my head, when I bought it, how much I've already used, how long we're going to be on shelter-in-place, and roughly how long a roll lasts, I determined it was an essential I didn't need to rush out and get.

Then a buddy sent me an online calculator to make sure I had enough. It's simple, just put in how many rolls of toilet paper you have and how many trips you take and it will determine how long your roll will last. There's even advanced settings that allow you to pick how many sheets per wipe and sheets per roll, if you happen to know that.

Look, grocery stores are staying open and will be replenishing their shelves. There's no need to be like the people buying pallets of toilet paper. I saw a funny meme over the weekend that said "The year was 2058, John finally opened the last roll of toilet paper his parents hoarded during the COVID-19 scare of 2020."

Many of the experts say if you continue to buy at your normal pace, there will be plenty for everyone. Be a little more mindful when going to the stores or when ordering online. We're all in this together and we'll make it through. Thankfully there's enough new technology like online ordering, pick-up at store, and delivery that should put your mind at ease. If you're one of the people that shared the meme about kicking people's full carts over or fake sneezing on them, remember that there are people going on grocery store runs for nursing homes, day cares, and such as well.

Continue to buy what you need but don't panic buy. Remember, when you buy pallets of toilet paper, that's one less roll for someone who may not have been able to get to the store because their job is an essential one.